Samsung: Galaxy S4 will break more records than predecessors

MANILA, Philippines — It will definitely break even more records.

That was the bold remark issued by freshly minted Samsung Philippines Mobile Head Eric Sulit when asked if they expect the Galaxy S4, the Korean technology firm’s latest flagship smartphone, to exceed the overwhelming performance of the Galaxy S3 last year.

“The Galaxy S3 was very strong in the Philippines, that is why we think the S4 will do even more and surpass its predecessor easily,” Sulit told InterAksyon.com during the local launch of Samsung’s most-anticipated smartphone.

“The problem right now is allocation, because we noticed that early on, the demand is so great already,” he added.


In just three months after launch, the Galaxy S3 already breached the 20 million mark and broke a lot of sales records made by its own predecessors. In November 2012, the Galaxy S3 officially claimed the coveted top smartphone title in the world, overtaking rival Apple’s just-launched iPhone 5.


Which is possibly why Samsung decided to stick with the same design philosophy with the S4. Sulit said they consciously stuck with the “organic” and tried-and-tested design of the S3, with a few minor changes in the body.

The S4, for example, is thinner at just 7.9 millimeters at its thickest point, while its Super AMOLED touchscreen display is a bit wider at 5 inches. The entire unit is wrapped with the same glossy plastic finish that have become hallmarks of the Galaxy S3 as well as the Galaxy Note 2, both released last year.

Quad-core variant

Aside from the build quality, Sulit revealed that the Philippine version of the Galaxy S4 will still be sporting a quad-core chip now made by Qualcomm in the form of the Snapdragon 600. The executive said that price was their main consideration, which enabled them to bring its retail price down to just P30,990.

“But of course, we felt that for the functionality, we could do with the quad-core (chip for the S4),” Sulit added. “The other consideration is LTE, since the local version includes the 2100 LTE band being used by both major telcos.”

Another variant, which carries the proprietary Exynos octa-core chip, is available in other countries. Sulit said they are looking into bringing the other variant to the Philippines as well, but issued no definite comments as of now.

Reports indicate that units will start selling in retail stores and with telco operators by May 5. Both Smart Communications and Globe Telecom have come out with their respective pricing plans for the Galaxy S4, with Smart offering a week-long promotion where interested subscribers can get the unit by signing up for Data Plan 1500.

Globe, on the other hand, is offering Samsung’s latest smartphone at Plan 1799, with a lock-in period of 30 months.

Aside from the high-performing chip, Samsung included a number of software enhancements with the S4, including:

  

• Smart Pause and Smart Scroll: based on the Smart Stay technology from the Galaxy S3, these two new features identifies and monitors eye movement and activates functions accordingly. Smart Pause will momentarily stop playing video when the user’s gaze moves away from the device, while Smart Scroll will move the page up or down when the user’s gaze reaches the bottom or top of the screen.
• Air View and Air Gesture: this software feature is powered by the IR gesture sensor that’s fitted with the new Galaxy S4. Air View allows you to hover your finger over content to display specific details about it, like opening an email or text message. Air Gesture, on the other hand, allows you to give swiping directions without even touching the phone.
• Group Play: Group Play will allow you to play music to up to 8 Galaxy S4 devices even without Internet connection.
• S Voice Drive: an improvement to the S Voice personal assistant introduced with the Galaxy S3, S Voice Drive aids in controlling the phone while driving by allowing to send and receive emails and text messages, as well as take and make calls, just by using voice commands.
• Dual Camera: Samsung has now made it so that certain applications, such as camera and video calling apps, can use both the front- and rear-facing camera at once.
• S Translator: This feature will allow live text-to-speech and speech-to-text translation of up to 8 languages using only the user’s voice input.

Samsung’s line of smartphones continues to be the runaway leader in the world market as it sold more than 50 million of its Galaxy S III units in 2012, trumping rival Apple in the category.

The company saw its share of the lucrative smartphone market surge to 39.6 percent in the third quarter of 2012, up from just 3.3 percent in late 2009 as it reportedly shipped more than 100 million units of its Galaxy S line as of January 2013.

source: interaksyon.com

How Much Life Insurance Does a Stay-at-Home Parent Need?

Generally, financial gurus recommend that you get 5-20 times your annual income in life insurance coverage. But what if you have no income because you’re a full-time stay-at-home parent? Or what if you contribute a few hundred bucks a year to the family bank account with your side job while you mostly stay home with the kids?

We all know that anything times zero is zero, but that doesn’t mean that a stay-at-home parent should not have life insurance.

In fact, as a stay-at-home parent, you make hugely valuable contributions to your household, contributions that would cost your family a pretty penny should something happen to you.

According to a recent Salary.com survey, the services of a stay-at-home mom in 2012 (sorry, dads, you weren’t part of the survey this time) would cost about $113,000 if you had to outsource those services. The survey looked at the services provided by a typical homemaker, including housekeeper, child care, chauffeur and more. If you had to outsource all those services, you’d pay a lot to do it.

But does that mean that a stay-at-home parent needs more than $1 million in life insurance? Probably not.

The truth is that in single-parent households, not all of these services are outsourced. Yes, if something happened to you, your spouse would have to pay for day care and would probably like to pay for extra services like housekeeping. But plenty of working single parents clean the house, make the lunches, plan the doctor’s appointments, run to school and soccer practice, and work.

The Goal is Something In Between

 

While your stay-at-home parent services are invaluable for your family, you don’t want to wind up with more life insurance than you can afford. So when you’re deciding how much term life insurance coverage to buy for yourself, you’ll have to do some personal calculations and some hard thinking.

Here’s one process for deciding how much life insurance to carry on the stay-at-home parent in your family:

First, talk about what life would look like if that parent died. No one likes to think about this possibility, but to make good life insurance decisions you must.Which services would the surviving spouse need or want to outsource? Look into the cost of full-time child care in your area and include that in your calculations.You may also want to check out things such as housekeeping services.

Remember to look at the ways a stay-at-home parent saves your family money, as well. For instance, many stay-at-home moms are able to shave hundreds off the monthly grocery bill by meal planning, couponing and cooking at home. If something happened to this parent, the family’s food costs could go up quite a bit.

Also look into counseling services. If something happens to your children’s primary caregiver, chances are they’ll need some professional help to cope in a healthy way. How much would some basic grief counseling or therapy cost your family?

Again, it’s not fun to think about these possibilities, but it’s essential to choosing the right amount of life insurance for a stay-at-home parent.

Second, research how much life insurance coverage would cost. Term life insurance rates are typically low. But if you’re a one-income family living on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford much coverage. On the other hand, if rates are very low, you might be able to afford the luxury of more coverage.

The key is to make sure you can pay for it, even if you get into a tight place financially. Not paying your premiums can result in a termination of coverage, which is not a place you want to find yourself.

Finally, choose how much coverage you want. Your best bet is to apply through a broker, so you can get the best deal on the amount of coverage you need. It’s also easy to get life insurance quotes online.

Having the right type of life insurance coverage for both parents in a family can give you peace of mind, knowing that you’re protecting your family, and especially your children, in the worst possible circumstances. If one partner in your family stays at home with the kids, figuring up life insurance can be more complicated, because you can’t just multiply your annual income. But taking the time to figure out how much life insurance the stay-at-home parent needs is an important step in making sure your family is well protected.

source: doughroller.net

How to Refinance Any Debt

What do you think of when you hear the word refinance? If you’re like most people, you probably think of refinancing a mortgage.

In my weekly newsletter, however, we’ve been talking about how you can refinance any debt. I’ve encouraged my newsletter subscribers to write down every debt they have, including the interest rate. With the list in hand, they are reviewing each loan to determine if they can lower their interest rate. It’s one of the easiest ways to save money.

So today I thought we’d look at what refinancing involves, why you might want to refinance, and how to refinance any type of debt.

What is Refinancing?

Refinancing is trading one debt for another. If you refinance your mortgage, you’re trading your original mortgage for a new mortgage, usually with better terms that save you money.

You could also trade your credit card debt for a lower-interest home equity loan, which is refinancing. Or you could move your car loan to a new lender to get a better interest rate.

Sometimes you refinance with the same lender. In this case, you’re changing the terms of your original loan based on new financial factors, such as a better credit score on your part or lower overall mortgage interest rates. Sometimes, you may take out a new loan to pay off the old loan, getting better loan terms in the process.

As an aside, a loan consolidation is a bit different. With consolidation, you are usually consolidating multiple loans into a single loan. This process is a form of refinancing, but involves trading multiple debts for one.

When Should You Consider Refinancing?

Usually the goal of refinancing is to save money, especially on interest paid over time and on monthly payments. But you could also choose to refinance to change your loan terms.

For instance, you might refinance your mortgage from a 15- to a 30-year loan. A longer term gives you lower (often much lower) monthly payments, which are great if you’re in a financial pinch. Even if you’re paying your 15-year mortgage with ease, you might want to take a longer term and invest the extra money each month, hoping to come out ahead financially in the long run.

On the flip side, you might choose to refinance your 30-year mortgage to a 15-year mortgage. If you want to be debt free faster, this is a way to make it happen without making extra mortgage payments. Plus, the shorter loan term can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest paid over time because 15-year interest rates are lower and you’ll pay down principal faster.

If you owe less on your home than it’s worth, you might want to do a cash out refinance, in which you remortgage it and take the difference in cash.

One more option is to switch from a variable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage. A set interest rate and predictable payments can make it much easier to plan your personal finances.

As you can see, there are many instances in which you might consider refinancing your debts. Be sure you run the proper calculations, especially if you’re refinancing a larger debt like a home or a car. These refinances can cost you cash up front, so make sure they’ll be worth your while in the long run.

Refinancing other debts, on the other hand, may not be so complicated. If you’re dealing with high-interest credit card debt, all you need to do is transfer the balance to a lower-interest card to save a fortune.

How to Refinance all Your Debts

As I said earlier, you can refinance any debt with the proper steps. Here are some of the ways that you can refinance various types of debt:

Straight-up refinancing

 

Although any of these methods is refinancing, let’s first talk about traditional refinancing. This term is most likely to be used for mortgage loans, auto loans and student loans. Basically, you either get a loan with better terms from your current lender or from a new lender. The key to this is to shop around for your new loan.

Refinancing your mortgage may take more legwork because you’ll likely need to talk with loan officers about refinancing offers and the potential costs of the process. When refinancing a secured loan like your home or auto loan, you may not be able to refinance if you owe more than the home or vehicle is worth. A loan for more than an item is worth is riskier for lenders.

We talk elsewhere about how to refinance a home in which you don’t have a lot of equity. One option is to refinance through the Home Affordable Refinance Program, and another is to take out two loans, one for the negative equity in your home, and another for a regular mortgage at a lower rate.

If you have negative equity in your vehicle, you may need to take out a separate, unsecured loan to pay down part of the car loan. For instance, if you owe $15,000 on a car worth $11,000, take out an unsecured loan (or use a low-interest credit card) to pay off $4,000, and then refinance the remaining auto loan. Or you could keep paying on the vehicle until you build more equity.

Finally, let’s talk about straight-up refinancing of student loans. Because student loans are unsecured, it’s very hard to get a new lender to take them on at a lower interest rate or better terms. Bloomberg’s BusinessWeek notes that there are several ways to change some of your student loan terms. If you can’t make minimum payments on federal loans, look into modified payment plans or forbearance. Even some private lenders offer forbearance in some instances.

Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to refinance these loans at a lower interest rate simply by finding a new lender. But you may be able to use one of these options for refinancing your student loans:

Using your home’s equity

 

If you have equity in your home, you can use that to refinance some of your other debts, such as school loans, credit cards or other personal debts. There are three options for doing this, including a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit, and a cash out refinance:

• Home Equity Loan: This is an installment loan based on your home’s equity. It’s also known as a second mortgage. If your home, for instance, is worth $500,000 and you owe $300,000 on your first mortgage, you could borrow $150,000 against your home’s value as a second mortgage. You’d pay back this type of loan in set installments, just like your first mortgage. All other things being equal, however, the interest rate on a second will be higher than your first mortgage
• Home Equity Line of Credit: This is similar to a home equity loan, except that it’s a revolving debt like a credit card. With a HELOC, you can write a check or use a debit card attached to the account, pay back some or all of the charge, and then charge again.
• Cash Out Refinance: Instead of taking out a second mortgage as a home equity loan, you might consider a cash out refinance, which will leave you with one mortgage payment. In the home equity loan scenario above, you could just refinance your first mortgage as a $450,000 mortgage, and take the excess $150,000 in cash.

Using your home’s equity to refinance other debts can be a good option because a secured loan against your home’s equity will likely have a much lower interest rate than the rates on other debts.

The rates you’ll pay on a home equity loan are typically much lower rate than you’re likely to be paying on any credit cards, and it’s also a lot lower than the locked-in 6.8 percent rate on federal student loans. So you could lower your overall debt payments and reduce the time it takes to pay off debts by using your home’s equity to pay off the balance of other loans.

If you can’t pay on your credit cards or student loans normally, the creditors can’t come after your property directly. If you can’t pay your HELOC or home equity loan, your lender could foreclose on your home.

Refinancing with credit cards

 

The most common way to refinance credit card debt is a balance transfer. You transfer the balance from one credit card to another, normally with a much lower interest rate.

Your best bet is to consider a zero interest credit card set up to encourage balance transfers. Note that some balance transfer credit cards come with fees, even if they have a limited-time zero interest rate on balance transfers.

There are some no-fee balance transfer cards available, so you should check out these options first. Some cards have an option for either zero interest with a balance-transfer fee (which is usually a percentage of the balance you transfer), or a zero transfer fee with a low interest rate. You’ll have to do the math to figure out which works best for you.

If you get a really great deal on a credit card and have enough available credit, you can use a credit card to refinance other higher-interest debts, as well. For instance, you could pay off a very high-interest personal loan with a lower-interest credit card, effectively using your credit card to refinance it.

Always check your credit card contract first because different types of purchases, transfers and payments may result in different interest rates.

Debt consolidation

 

If you’re swamped in debt and are unable to make minimum payments on everything, debt consolidation could be a good option. You’ll get one large loan to pay off part or all of your other debts, consolidating them into one loan.

The advantage of debt consolidation is often that it lowers your overall monthly payments, a relief for hard-hit consumers. Depending on the interest rates of the loans you’re carrying, consolidation may lower your overall interest rate and total interest payments.

According to the FTC, using your home’s equity is the most common way to consolidate debt, but you may also be able to get a consolidation loan. However, some disreputable so-called debt relief organizations will offer debt consolidation loans that aren’t a great deal. They may increase the overall interest paid, extend your repayment time to decades, or charge fees that increase your overall debt load.

It’s very common to consolidate student loan debt, and this is usually an automatic option with federal student loans. If you took out student loans for several years in a row, you probably have several loans from several lenders. It’s a pain to make so many separate payments, and your minimum payments are probably quite high.

In this case, you can consolidate all your loans into one by a single lender. Consolidating federal loans usually means that you lock in your interest rate, which may otherwise vary from year to year. Plus, you could lower your overall monthly payments and gain access to several repayment plans.

You’ll have to consolidate private student loans separately, but there are several lenders who will do it. You can read more about how to consolidate student loans here.

Using LendingClub or Prosper

 

LendingClub and Prosper are peer-to-peer lending marketplaces. Basically, you can get a fairly low rate on an unsecured personal loan that comes from other individual lenders. LendingClub statistics say that nearly half their loans are used to consolidate debt or pay down credit cards with a lower interest loan.

Peer-to-peer lending options generally come with competitive interest rates that depend on your credit history, and they’re relatively quick to get. But the loan limits are usually around $25,000, though you may be able to take out multiple loans at once. They can be a good option if you need to refinance debt quickly.

The Bottom Line

 

Refinancing some or all of your debts may or may not be a good idea. Look at your debts, interest rates and minimum payments. If you could reduce interest rates significantly, refinancing is usually a great option. Also, if you can lower your monthly payments, you could kick the money you save into paying off your principal balances more quickly, or into investment accounts that allow you to save for the future.

source: doughroller.net

10 Ways to Use Your Tax Refund

In 2012, the average federal tax refund for Americans was $2,800. If you have a big family or a low income, your refund was likely even more than that. Even though you should know about what to expect with your refund, most of us treat it as a windfall. Choosing what to do with this big check may be the hardest financial choice you make all year.

A 2012 survey from the National Retail Federation showed that more Americans than ever were intent on saving their refunds. In fact, 43 percent planned to sock that check away, and about 40 percent planned to pay down debt with their 2012 check.



How will you use your tax refund this year? We’ve got a few ideas to consider:

1. Create an emergency fund

 

If you don’t have an emergency fund, your tax refund is a perfect place to start. Emergency fund recommendations range from $1,000 while you’re paying down debt to six months’ worth of income. Your check from the IRS may be nowhere near the upper end, but it could still be a good start on an emergency fund to help you through potentially rocky times in the next year or two.

2. Pay down debt

 

If you have an emergency fund (or access to cash or credit in an emergency) it’s probably time to focus on paying down debt. Since debt typically costs more than investments earn, now is a great time to pay down debt – especially higher-interest debts that are eating away at your monthly income and potentially lowering your credit score.

3. Buy a home

 

Depending on home prices in your area, your tax refund may be enough to cover a down payment – or at least a big chunk of it. With an FHA loan, you only need a 3.5 percent down payment (plus closing costs), so a $3,000 check could be enough to get an FHA loan on a small home in, for instance, the Midwest. Already have a home? Consider using your refund to buy a HUD home as an investment.

4. Fund a retirement account

 

If you haven’t started a retirement account – or if you just need to catch up on your savings – putting your tax check into a 401(k) or IRA is a great idea. The sooner you fund your retirement account, the more easily you’ll save for your eventual retirement.

5. Upgrade your furniture or appliances

 

If you’re wasting energy because of an inefficient washer-dryer set, or your couch is falling apart at the seams, you may want to use your refund check to buy new furniture or appliances. One advantage here is that you can often negotiate for a discount if you pay in cash – or you can buy lightly used furniture from Craigslist for a fraction of the retail price.

6. Renovate your home

 

Whether you’re getting ready to sell your home or you’re settling in for the long haul, your tax refund is a great way to start renovating. There are so many large and small ways to renovate, some of which can increase your home’s value. One Fox News article advises looking for ways to make your home more energy efficient, increase curb appeal, or improve the look of your kitchen or bathroom.

7. Go on vacation

 

You don’t have to spend a fortune to go on a nice vacation, and a relaxing trip can be the perfect way to rejuvenate yourself for new ventures in the rest of 2013. Whether you decide to backpack in Europe or enjoy a luxury cruise, you can use the web to save when booking your vacation so that your tax check stretches further.

8. Start a side venture

 

Whether you want to turn a hobby into a business or leverage your work experience as a side venture, earning a second income from another business is a great idea. You could start a blog, work as a consultant, or mow grass on summer weekends. Whatever your side venture, you’ll probably need a little capital to get started. Your tax refund is just the place to get it.

9. Take a class

 

Whether you want to enrich your life with a new hobby or knowledge or boost your employability, paying for a class with your tax refund is a great idea. In fact, you may be able to pay for an entire year’s worth of classes at a community college, if you want to work toward a new career field.

10. Give to charity

 

Donating to charity is a great way to boost your own sense of well-being. Plus, you can claim charitable giving on next year’s itemized taxes, so you could get an even better tax break next year.

These are just a few ideas for how to use your tax refund. Are you getting a check from the IRS this year? If so, how do you plan to use it?

source: doughroller.net

Sony goes back to basics with ‘Triluminos’ tech in new TVs

BORACAY, Aklan — Competitors may harp about the Internet functions and 3D features of their TVs, but Japanese electronics brand Sony would rather go back to basics and improve the picture quality of their TV sets, starting with how close they mimic color in real life.

This was the message sent by Sony Philippines President and General Manager Yasushi Asaoka during the launch of their new Bravia TVs here, headlined by models that include a new color-production technology called “Triluminos,” which the company claims provides a wider spectrum of colors for TVs.

“Sony has constantly set the benchmark on delivering the best television experience; this time, we are bringing picture to life with a breathtaking palette of rich, natural colors never before seen on a television,” Asaoka said as he unveiled Sony’s new lineup of Bravia TVs.

The Triluminos technology, developed internally by Sony engineers, extends the available color palette viewable on TV screens so that it comes just a little bit closer to the color spectrum that can be seen by the human eye.

Executives said that through this development, images viewed on the Triluminos-powered screens give off bolder shades of red, darker hues of blue, and more natural colors of green. Models that carry this technology include the 4K-powered X9004A, as well as the W945A and the W904A. All will be available in the Philippines come June.

“We decided on investing on picture quality because we think that’s how we can stand out,” Asaoka said during an interview with reporters. “We didn’t want to just go with fringe features such as Internet functions and 3D technology.”

The Sony Philippines head honcho, himself an expert on Sony’s Bravia line of televisions, was referring to competitors such as South Korean firms Samsung and LG, which have both been overplaying the Internet connectivity and 3D functions of their TV products. More than being key differentiators, Asaoka said these specifications are mere “features” that do not add value to the product.

“In fact, all of our new TVs also have these features,” he stressed, pointing out that more than just these features, Sony’s Bravia line truly excels in picture quality.

Changing demographic

Larry Secreto, director of sales and marketing at Sony Philippines, added that this trend is merely aided by the change in consumer demographic, as households with younger members increasingly prefer to purchase TV sets that come with these new features.

But Asaoka stressed that they do not want to play in that game, even if it means that their products are priced a little bit higher than their competitors.

“We noticed that the Philippine economy is growing, so people have more spending power and are choosing TV sets with larger screens, even if they are more expensive,” he explained. Historically, according to Asaoka, the TV market is dominated by 32-inch screens and below, but consumer demand in recent years had indicated a move toward larger screens, such as those measuring 46 inches and above.

In this space, Sony has a formidable player in the form of the KD-84X9000, an 84-inch ultra-HD TV set that is built on top of 4K technology, or the video standard that contains four times the pixel count of traditional 1080p Full HD videos.

But to up the ante, the company announced here the upcoming availability of the Bravia X9004A, a 4K TV set that will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch models and will be priced significantly lower than the 84-inch model’s P1.2 million price tag.

“This is our way of bringing 4K technology to more mainstream users,” executives said.

On top of superior picture quality, Secreto said they had also tried to bring existing sound technology to their new 4K TV sets, particularly in the use of “magnetic fluid” speaker technology that reduces vibrations and therefore eliminating unwanted sound coming from the TV’s sound system.

“In CRT TVs, the entire TV box is part of how a TV produces sound,” Secreto explained. “But after changing from CRT TVs to LED TVs, the form factor has become very slim, and customers started complaining about the sound.”

With the magnetic fluid technology, Sony uses proprietary digital signal processing that can fit into slim LCD screens and produce similar — if not better — sounds as CRT TVs.

Sony hopes that these new models will propel the company and its TV line back to its luster about two decades ago, as it guns for double-digit growth in their TV business this year in the hopes of leaving its third spot in the local market in terms of market share.

source: interaksyon.com

Why are these two women kissing each other in public?

Because they're attending a pro gay marriage demonstration in Paris, France, that's why.

Held last April 23, the "oui , oui, oui" (yes, yes, yes) movement gathered supporters outside the French national assembly in Paris.

France's lower house National Assembly on the same day adopted a bill legalising same-sex marriages and adoptions for gay couples, defying months of opposition protests.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Iron Man 3′ goes back to basics in a quest to save America

LOS ANGELES – After battling grandiose villains and teaming up with other superheroes, it’s back-to-basics for “Iron Man” in the third installment of the multi-million-dollar franchise featuring Robert Downey Jr.

“Iron Man 3,” which opens in most of the world this Friday and on May 3 in the United States and the Philippines, has Downey reprising his role of superhero industrialist Tony Stark from the first two films as well as last summer’s “The Avengers.”

Collectively, the three films have made about $2.7 billion at the global box office in the past five years.

“Iron Man 3,” which continues Stark’s storyline from both sets of Marvel franchises, centers around the evil extremist known as The Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) who is hell-bent on destroying the United States.

When The Mandarin destroys Stark’s personal world as well as his superhero suit, Stark must begin from scratch, rebuilding his suit, freeing the woman he loves and saving the country from destruction.

Bombs go off in crowds of people and buildings are destroyed in the film that the cast says reflects real-life threats.

“We do live in an unsafe world, that’s the truth,” Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Downey’s love interest Pepper Potts, told reporters at a news conference this week.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with presenting that idea. We can’t lie to our children and pretend the world is perfect.”

Marvel’s first self-financed film, 2008′s “Iron Man,” became a global phenomenon, transformed Downey into a superstar and set off a chain of action movies that spawned other franchises, culminating in last year’s crossover film, “The Avengers.”

BOWING TO CHINA
But in 2009, Walt Disney Co. bought Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, and “Iron Man 3″ is Disney’s first release in the franchise.

In a first, “Iron Man 3″ teamed with China-based DMG Entertainment and shot additional scenes that will only run in the Chinese version of the film, a nod to the growing importance of the Chinese movie market to Hollywood.

The cast and filmmakers have kept quiet on details of the extra scenes. But director Shane Black, who also co-wrote the script, said he was thrilled to work with “one of the single, fastest-emerging box office environments in the world.”

Promotional duties have also become more creative, with Downey doing a two-week global tour for the film by making stops in Korea, Beijing, Moscow, Munich, Paris and London.

Downey said the storyline took other risks, including 11-year-old actor Ty Simpkins playing Stark’s sidekick – the first time a child has been prominently featured in the “Iron Man” films.

“(Black’s) idea of a superhero running into a little kid in heartland America, I think, wound up being a wise choice, and a calculated risk,” said Downey.

He acknowledged the pressure that follows two successful films, saying “usually the third of any (movie) struggles to even meet the first two, let alone the first one.”

But Paltrow said all three films work because of the similarities between the off-screen Downey and his brash-but-vulnerable Stark, and also owing to the actor’s persistence.

“One particular strength of Robert’s that we don’t see on screen is the fact that he’s always asking, ‘What is the big picture here? How can we make it feel real?’” Paltrow said.

“I think that’s why the movies keep working. They’re not a weaker carbon copy of the one before.”

source: interaksyon.com

Maserati executive car tests Fiat’s push into luxury

MILAN — In these lean economic times, even supercar makers are reaching down-market – which for Maserati means a price tag below 100,000 euros ($131,000).

The Italian company owned by Fiat is reinventing its venerable Ghibli tourer as an “executive sedan” aimed squarely, as the description suggests, at people who still have to work.

The car, due to be unveiled at the Shanghai auto show on Saturday, is an early test of Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne’s efforts to squeeze more cash out of the prestigious Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands. The plan would see Maserati sales surge eight-fold.

The outcome will help decide whether Fiat – a company founded in the late 19th century – survives the collapse of the auto market in Europe, where its losses reached 738 million euros last year, putting factories and thousands of jobs at risk.

Maserati will have to perform a difficult balancing act to emulate the success of Germany’s BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen’s Audi by rolling out more affordable models aimed at a broader client base without tarnishing one of the auto industry’s most hallowed brands.

“This battle won’t be won with individuals walking into showrooms with their cheque books,” said Geoff Lancaster, chairman of Britain’s Maserati Club.

“It will be won by Maserati convincing the leasing companies and fleet managers that their product is competitive on a cost-per-mile basis with BMW and Mercedes.”

Founded a century ago in Bologna by the five Maserati brothers, the company secured its place in racing history by winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940. After passing through the hands of a succession of owners including PSA Peugeot Citroen, Maserati was bought by Fiat in 1993.

The Ghibli is a smaller, sportier version of the 110,000-euro Quattroporte and the brand’s second four-door car. Named after a wind, like most Maseratis, the original 1967 model and a 1992-97 successor were both two-door GT coupes.

The revived Ghibli arrives in Europe and China this summer and U.S. showrooms later in the year, to be followed in 2014 by a new Levante crossover sport-utility vehicle.

The Ghibli’s prices will start somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 euros, Fiat has said, declining to comment on reports in the motoring press of a 70,000 euro entry ticket.

Brand chief Harald Wester is expected to announce prices and sales targets at the Shanghai show.

Fiat unions have been told the carmaker will add a second shift at its Maserati plant in Turin.

Maserati hopes the entry-level car will draw more buyers with its racing pedigree, powerful engines and alluring styling.

“For Maserati to grow, it needs to get into this segment with a smaller car at a lower price,” said Pierluigi Santoro, a doctor and Maserati enthusiast based in Naples.

Unrealistic

As European mass-market brands suffer, carmakers are turning to higher-margin luxury marques to make up for lost revenue.

Maserati and stable-mate Ferrari together sold 13,606 cars last year, or 0.3 percent of the 4 million total recorded by Fiat and its U.S. affiliate Chrysler. But they accounted for nearly 11 percent of group earnings.

The Maserati roll-out is being watched closely for clues about next year’s Alfa Romeo relaunch, billed by Chief Executive Marchionne as one of the main drivers of his Fiat strategy.

Maserati is targeting an increase in sales to 50,000 cars in 2015 from 6,288 last year, with the Ghibli and upcoming Levante contributing a combined 35,000.

The goal may prove as unrealistic as it sounds, forecasters say. LMC Automotive estimates that total Maserati production will reach 39,078 in 2015. IHS sees 28,100.

Measuring just under five metres in length, the Ghibli comes with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel or petrol engine, manual or eight-speed automatic transmission and optional four-wheel drive.

The same underpinnings will be used for a large Alfa Romeo car as well as Chrysler’s next-generation 300 sedan, Dodge Charger and Challenger models.

For Maserati, which sold 2,730 cars in the United States last year, there is a big gap to close with its competitors. Jaguar recorded 12,011 U.S. deliveries, while Porsche had 35,043 and Mercedes 295,013.

The Ghibli will compete with the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series, Jaguar XF and Daimler’s Mercedes E-Class but exceed all of their starting prices – drawing some scepticism about its prospects.

While a move into bigger-selling categories can unlock economies of scale, it also brings tough competition from the better-known names, said Stefano Aversa, managing director at automotive consultancy AlixPartners.

“With the Ghibli, Maserati is entering a higher-volume segment where Porsche and Jaguar are already well positioned,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Man, 78, rescued 5 days after deadly China quake

BEIJING -- A 78-year-old man has been rescued five days after an earthquake hit southwestern China, killing 196 and making thousands homeless, state media reported Thursday.

He was found by rescuers "on a hilltop" in Muping township, in Baoxing County, Xinhua said, without giving further details of the rescue operation.

"The man suffered a rib fracture but is in a stable condition," the report said, adding that he was taken to Baoxing People's Hospital by helicopter.

The state news agency said he was the first person to be rescued since the crucial first 72-hours after the earthquake, which the US Geological Survey registered at magnitude 6.6.

Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless after the quake struck Saturday morning, causing widespread devastation in Sichuan province.

Rescue teams have been hampered by blocked roads caused by landslides and traffic congestion in their hunt for survivors.

source: interaksyon.com

US online retailers under pressure with looming tax bill

WASHINGTON — The US Senate moved Monday toward expected approval of a bill that would subject online retailers to state sales taxes, cutting a advantage that helped them steal business from brick and mortar stores.

The bill, the Marketplace Fairness Act, represents a long fought battle by local governments and businesses to collect taxes on Internet sales to local people by outside retailers like Amazon, eBay, and other online giants.

But it also raises operating challenges for Internet businesses, especially medium-sized ones, to begin collecting tax payments for state and local jurisdictions, wherever orders originate.

Senators voted a generous 74-20 to move to debate on the bill, which suggests an easy passage, despite a stiff lobbying fight to block or alter it from online retailing power eBay.

The bill would force online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made in states and localities even if the retailer is not physically present there.

A 1992 Supreme Court ruling has prevented states from compelling tax collection as long as the retailer lacks a physical presence in the state.

With combined state and local sales taxes adding as much as 10 percent to the price of a good, that has given online sellers a significant advantage to local shops.

Local shops then want the bill, as do states and local governments trying to rebuild finances after the deep 2008 recession by seeking out new sources of income.

The National Retail Federation, which represents physical retailers, estimates that $24 billion worth of taxes goes uncollected due to online sales.

“It’s costing states and localities billions in lost revenue,” said Republican bill sponsor, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi. “Now is the time for Congress to act.”

The bill would cover only retailers with more than $1 million in revenues from outside their physical base, an effort to alleviate the collection and filing burden collecting taxes from multiple jurisdictions would have on small businesses.

But the online giants Amazon and eBay have split over it. Amazon, which long fought local taxes, now has or will have a warehouses in so many areas that it backs the bill, if mainly to ensure its competitors do not have an advantage.

But eBay, the auction marketplace that is increasingly competing with amazon for direct sales of new consumer goods, over the weekend launched a broadside against the bill.

EBay chief executive John Donahoe told eBay members in an email that the bill threatened their business.

“Some lawmakers and large retailers want to impose more costs on you by mandating nationwide sales tax collection for your online business, whether you sell through eBay, other marketplaces or your own site,” Donahoe said.

The White House strongly endorsed the bill, saying it “will level the playing field for local small business retailers that are in competition every day with large out-of-state online companies.”

The influential anti-tax lobby Americans for Tax Reform issued a statement urging backers to fight the bill, saying it would extend the power of “money-hungry state legislators” to apply taxes outside their borders.

“The regulatory implications will span more than just internet based businesses.”

source: interaksyon.com

Low-birth Greece takes a further hit from crisis

ATHENS - In a nursery of a private maternity hospital in Athens, three mothers feed their newborns while another three babies nap nearby.

The room has only a few cots, and yet a number lie empty.

Sunk in recession for the past six years and struggling to steer its economy through painful austerity cuts, Greece now faces a fertility crisis as well.

"Benefits have been cut, the cost of living has risen, wages are down and there is great uncertainty," says Leonidas Papadopoulos, managing director of the Leto hospital and a veteran obstetrician.

"Couples think twice nowadays, not only for a second child but even for their first... It looks like there will be 10,000 fewer births next year," he adds, citing estimates drawn from state and private studies.

According to state statistics agency Elstat, the fertility rate in Greece has fallen from 2.33 children per woman in 1975 to 1.4 in 2011.

The replacement rate, the number of births at which the population remains stable, is 2.07 children.

Papadopoulos also cites a recent study by the University of Athens which found that the rate of miscarriages has doubled to four percent in the last two years.

And births have gone from 118,000 in 2008 to 101,000 last year, he notes.

"At this rate, Greece will be much smaller in a few years," Papadopoulos says.

The European Union fertility leader is Ireland with 2.05 births in 2012, followed by France with 2.01 children.

In one of its projected scenarios, Elstat sees the population of Greece dropping to 9.7 million in 2050 from 11.29 million in 2012.

A jobless rate of over 27 percent -- and over 30 percent among women -- compounds the difficulty facing couples today.

"Policies to protect maternity are easier to apply in good (economic) periods," says a high-ranking state welfare official who declined to be named.

"In the private sector, mothers very frequently do not make use of their rights because unemployment is very high," the official added.

In Greece's more easy-going civil service, staff can take up to 14 months in fully paid maternity leave -- and have been known to obtain extra time for difficult pregnancies.

In the private sector, mothers can on paper claim up to 15 months of non-consecutive maternity leave -- four of them unpaid -- not including holidays.

In reality, however, employees rarely push to obtain full maternity leave for fear of losing their job, officials note.

The Greek ombudsman's office highlights the problem in its latest report for 2012.

"Women who are pregnant or just back from maternity leave, run higher risks of...unemployment and precarious employment," the report said.

"In many cases they accept a violation of their labor rights to avoid losing their job," it noted, adding that having children was also likely to adversely affect a woman's pay and career prospects within a company.

"We even have extreme examples of couples who have been trying to have a child for years, undergo costly treatment and then want to have an abortion because the husband just lost his job," Papadopoulos said.

The 'money is so little that it cannot even cover bread and milk for the children'

Paradoxically, the axe has fallen the hardest on large families.

Until last year, mothers could claim a lump sum of 2,000 euros ($2,618) upon the birth of their third child, and the same amount for each child thereafter.

Then there were additional child support benefits of up to 4,700 euros a year, depending on income and the number of children, which were accessible to even moderately wealthy families.

These were eliminated in 2012 and replaced with a new, means-tested system.

From January 1, families are theoretically eligible for child support benefits of up to 5,880 euros -- but they would need to have six children and be on the verge of starvation to claim it.

Spain is a similar example of a once-generous welfare gone for good -- a 2,500-euro handout per baby was eliminated in 2011.

In Germany, parents receive 184 euros per month for their first two children. For the third child, the state pays 190 euros and for additional children 215 euros.

In Greece, even for couples who are not in dire straits, supporting a large family is tough.

"We cannot meet the needs of our three children and our parents are having to contribute from their pensions," says Georgia Kitsaki, an unemployed hotel worker from Thessaloniki.

Georgia and her husband Nikos, who is also unemployed after a labor accident, received a monthly jobless benefit of 470 euros until December, and child benefit of 276 euros. The latter has since been suspended.

"In any case, this money is so little that it cannot even cover bread and milk for the children," she adds.

source: interaksyon.com

Take charge in style with Lenovo P and S series smartphones

MANILA, Philippines - Today’s smartphones are more than just tools that allow individuals to call, text, and access the Internet — they empower different lifestyles. Letting users get more out of life are Lenovo Mobile’s flagship P and S series, two elite classes of smartphones that combine power and aesthetics for the style-savvy professional.

Built for those with active, on-the-go lifestyles, the Lenovo P700i and P770 satisfy every hardcore user’s needs. With class-leading battery life, the P770’s 3500mAh battery can last through the entire workweek.

The P770 also carries built-in USB On-the-Go (OTG) for quick and easy access to files from PC to phone and other gadgets, and doubles as a power cable for charging other phones. Its 4.5-inch 960 x 540 high-resolution IPS screen also helps users input and edit data with ease.

Featuring a Dual-Core Cortex-A9 processor, the P700i can handle just about any productivity app that professionals need. It ups the game for mobile entrepreneurs, allowing them to catch business opportunities at every corner.



Artists, fashion enthusiasts and individuals with a knack for cool design will find the Lenovo S series a delight for the senses. The lineup features a sleek and stylish exterior that is likely to turn heads, with designs that boast a 9.3-mm thin, classy, loop ID-inspired shell that come in a variety of cool colors.

Lenovo’s S720 epitomizes style and entertainment. In stylish pink or white with a Dolby Digital Plus audio system and an 8-MP rear camera, phone owners can expect crisp, streaming sound and sharp, high-resolution images they can edit using Lenovo’s Super Camera Software.


The Lenovo S890 also lets shutterbugs and movie buffs enjoy a new kind of mobile entertainment experience with its huge five-inch IPS screen and an 8-MP camera that takes clear photos even at night.

It also comes with the new Touchpal Input Suite and a fun variety of pre-loaded software. Weighing only 176 grams in chic white and midnight blue, it’s the perfect all-in-one media device for those on the go.

Experience the perfect fusion of power and style with the Lenovo P and S Series smartphones now available at all authorized Lenovo Mobile phone distributors nationwide.

source: philstar.com

Afrojack soon in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - In less than two years, Afrojack has become one of electronic dance music’s major icons. From humble DJ beginnings in his native country of Holland, he has grown to become a multi-awardwinning, platinum-selling producer. His skills are some of the most sought after in the world, and with two Grammy Awards under his belt, it’s easy to see why. His DJ sets have fast become both iconic and unparalleled, providing an explosive take on the current state of dance music across the board.

On April 27, Afrojack will make his second visit to the Philippines, headlining in the CloseUp Summer Solstice Music Festival at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.

Starting off in his hometown of Spijkenisse, Nick van de Wall, aka Afrojack, quickly made a name for himself with a slew of hard-hitting underground releases, before exploding in 2011 with the unveiling of Take Over Control, an instant worldwide club and chart hit going platinum in the USA. This also helped solidify his own imprint Wall Recordings as a pioneering club music brand — a value he holds dear as label boss and insures with every release.

From there, the snowball continued, as well as making club hits and collaborating with the likes of David Guetta (co-writing and producing the worldwide smash Titanium). He also began to team up with and write for pop artists around the world. In 2011 he co-wrote and produced Give Me Everything for Pitbull and Ne-Yo, which to this day has sold over five million copies worldwide. Not to mention his work for Beyonce’s Run the World (Girls) and his Grammy nominated remix for Leona Lewis’ Collide.

He has been awarded with Grammy Awards for Best Remix (Madonna, Revolver) in 2011) and Best Rap/Hip Hop Track for his co-production duties on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” this year. 2012 continued upwards when his latest single with Shermanology Can’t Stop Me went top 10 in Holland and is now all over Top 40 radio in the US, while his newest underground club hit Rock The House topped the Beatport charts after just three days, making it one of the fastest number one records there ever.

Afrojack’s skills stretch much farther than the mixing desk however; his presence as one of the world’s top performers is solidified almost daily in a gruelling tour schedule. In 2012 alone he began his North American “Jacked” tour with multiple sold-out shows featuring his growing posse of Wall artists, before embarking on the same concept throughout Europe with seven shows a week throughout the summer. On top of his own shows he headlined both EDC NY & Las Vegas to over 300.000 people, as well as the UMF in Miami + Tomorrowland and many other major festivals throughout Europe.


His long-anticipated yet-to-be- named artist album is nearing completion, with tracks already being road- tested at clubs. A true testament to his prolific profile as a producer and an artist, the long-player will showcase multiple sides of the Afrojack sound — from aggressive to accessible yet always credible. In the pantheon of EDM greats that have risen over the years, Afrojack has earned his place already, but is far from finished with what he has to share. The adventure continues while the beat goes on.

source: philstar.com

More than 150 dead in China quake, thousands injured

At least 152 people were killed and 3,000 injured when a strong earthquake shook southwest China Saturday, wrecking homes and triggering landslides in an area devastated by a major tremor in 2008.

The shallow earthquake struck Sichuan on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau just after 8:00 a.m., triggering a major rescue operation in the province where 87,000 people were reported dead or missing five years ago.

Eight hours after the quake hit Lushan county in the city of Ya'an, the death toll stood at 102, CCTV news said, quoting the China Earthquake Administration. At least 10,000 homes were destroyed, the Sichuan government said.

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey gave it as 6.6. More than 260 aftershocks followed, the People's Daily said on its website.

The shaking was felt in the provincial capital Chengdu, which lies to the east, and even in the megacity of Chongqing several hundred kilometers away.

Panicked residents fled into the streets, some of them still in their slippers and pajamas.

"Members of my family were woken up. They were lying in bed when the strong shaking began and the wardrobes began shaking strongly," said a 43-year-old Chongqing resident surnamed Wang. "We grabbed our clothes and ran outside."

About 6,000 soldiers and police were heading to the area to help rescue work, the Xinhua news agency said.

Some had to contend with roads blocked by debris, CCTV reported, while one military vehicle carrying 17 troops plummeted over a cliff, killing one soldier and injuring seven others, Xinhua said.

"There are mountains on all sides, it is very easy to trigger mudslides and very dangerous," one user wrote on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

The disaster evoked comparisons to the 2008 Sichuan quake, the country's worst in decades, and President Xi Jinping ordered all out efforts to minimize casualties, Xinhua said.

Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Sichuan in the afternoon and was taking a helicopter to the quake zone.

"The current most urgent issue is grasping the first 24 hours since the quake's occurrence, the golden time for saving lives," he was quoted as saying.

Amid the rescue efforts, a 30-year-old pregnant woman surnamed Zhao was pulled out of the rubble along with a young child and sent to hospital for treatment, the People's Daily said on its Weibo account.

A local TV journalist due to get married on Saturday turned up instead for work and a photograph of her reporting on the disaster in her wedding dress with bright makeup and a corsage was widely circulated on Weibo.

Meanwhile Ya'an residents were offering to donate badly needed blood, the People's Daily said.

But volunteers outside the city were discouraged from flocking to Ya'an to help with relief efforts, Xinhua said, to avoid blocking already busy phone lines and worsening road congestion.

"A fair amount of telecoms facilities have been damaged," it said.

Three reservoirs in the area had shown cracks and people downstream were being relocated, a Sichuan government website said.

Pandas at a reserve less than 50 kilometers from the epicenter were not harmed, Xinhua said, citing an employee.

A Sina Weibo user posted a photo purportedly showing a badly damaged kindergarten in Lushan, its dark red stone slabs lying on the ground beside a row of trees. The authenticity of the photo could not be verified.

"Hang in there Ya'an!" the user wrote.

Weibo users in other cities reported feeling tremors.

Residents ran onto the street to get away from high rises, made phone calls and cried, a Sichuan government website reported. A few had even packed bags in case they needed to take shelter elsewhere.

The 2008 Sichuan quake, which struck west-northwest of Chengdu, generated an outpouring of support, with volunteers rushing to the scene to offer aid and then-premier Wen Jiabao also visiting.

But there was public anger after the discovery that many schools fell while other buildings did not, creating suspicion of corruption and corner cutting in construction.

The deaths of the children became a sensitive and taboo subject in the heavily controlled domestic media and social media websites.

Earthquakes frequently strike the country's southwest. In April 2010, a 6.9 magnitude quake killed about 2,700 people and injured 12,000 in a remote area of Qinghai province bordering the northwest of Sichuan.

source: interaksyon.com

Boston bombing suspects showed few radical signs

WASHINGTON - The two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings are ethnic Chechen brothers who spent much of their lives away from the breakaway Russian republic and showed few signs of radicalism in the United States, friends and relatives say.

Much is still unknown about Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Cambridge residents identified by a national security official as suspects in the twin bombings that killed three people and wounded 176 on Monday.




Tamerlan, 26, who dreamed of Olympic boxing glory, was killed in a shootout late on Thursday. Dzhokhar, 19, described as a low-profile student in high school, was the target of a massive manhunt on Friday.

The men's uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, said he had not spoken with them since 2009 and urged Dzhokhar to turn himself in.

"He put a shame on our family. He put a shame on the entire Chechen ethnicity," Tsarni said outside his home in suburban Washington.

Asked what was behind the attack, Tsarni said: "I say what I think what's behind it - being losers. Not being able to settle themselves and thereby hating everyone who did."

Dzhokhar said on his page on VK, a Russian-language social media site, that he went to primary school in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, a province in Russia's Caucasus region that borders Chechnya.

He graduated in 2011 from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, a public school near Harvard University in Cambridge. His "World view" is listed as "Islam" and his "personal priority" is "career and money."

He had enrolled at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and a high school classmate, Eric Machado, told CNN that Dzhokhar had shown no "tell-tale signs of malicious behavior."

"We partied. We hung out. We were good high school friends," he said.

Machado recalled that Dzhokhar once said something in conversation about terrorism, but there was "no evidence that would lead any of us to believe that he would be capable of this."

Luke O'Neill, 21, a neighbor in Cambridge, said he had last seen the younger man this past winter. He said the family kept to themselves and he often would see Dzhokhar walking alone.

But although an unidentified former classmate described Dzhokhar to Boston television station WBZ as the "class clown," his VK page showed links to Islamic websites and others calling for Chechen independence.

Dagestan school

School officials in Dagestan said the family had left for the United States in March 2002 before after arriving the previous year from Kyrgyzstan as refugees.

"The children - there were four of them - were admitted to the School No. 1," the headmaster, Emirmagomed Davydov, told Reuters Television. "The whole family arrived together and left together."

US officials said the brothers were in the United States legally.

Tamerlan, the older brother, had been a part-time accounting student at Bunker Hill Community College. He was enrolled there for three semesters - fall 2006, spring 2007 and fall 2008.

"He wasn't even close" to getting a degree, said Patricia Brady, a spokeswoman for the college.

Tamerlan devoted himself to boxing. After winning a Golden Gloves bout in nearby Lowell, Massachusetts, in 2004, he told the local newspaper, "I like the USA ... America has a lot of jobs.

"That's something Russia doesn't have. You have a chance to make money here if you are willing to work."

But Tamerlan Tsarnaev expressed some frustration with the United States in a 2010 profile in "The Comment" magazine published by Boston University's School of Communications.

The article quotes Tsarnaev as saying that, although he had lived in the United States for five years, "I don't have a single American friend. I don't understand them."

He neither smoked nor drank. He told the magazine, "God said no alcohol." (Additional reporting by Edith Honan, Peter Graff, Ben Berkowitz, Stephanie Simon, Michelle Conlin and Lisa Schwartz)

source: interaksyon.com

US arrests suspect in poison letters to Obama, lawmaker

WASHINGTON -- US authorities have arrested a suspect over mailings laced with the deadly poison ricin to President Barack Obama and a Senator, officials said Wednesday.

"Today at approximately 5:15 p.m. (2215 GMT), FBI special agents arrested Paul Kevin Curtis, the individual believed to be responsible for the mailings of the three letters sent through the US Postal Service," the Justice Department said.

The letters "contained a granular substance that preliminarily tested positive for ricin," it added in a statement.

Earlier reports had said that the letters to Obama and Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi were signed, "I am KC and I approve this message."

Curtis was arrested at his home in Corinth, Mississippi, the Justice Department statement said.

Ricin -- a highly toxic protein found in castor beans -- can, when inhaled, cause respiratory problems. Ingested orally, it is lethal in even miniscule quantities.

source: interaksyon.com

Many feared dead in Texas fertilizer plant blast

A fertilizer factory in Texas exploded in a massive fireball Wednesday, killing as many as 60 to 70 people, local media reported, amid fears a second tank at the plant could also erupt in flames.

Dozens of homes were destroyed, more than 130 people were evacuated from a nearby nursing home, and at least 100 patients were admitted to hospitals following the massive blast at the plant in the town of West, outside Waco.

"It's like a nuclear bomb went off," West Mayor Tommy Muska told CNN.

There were conflicting reports about the death toll in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion in the southern US state, which witnesses said sent a huge fireball into the air.

The figure of up to 60-70 dead was initially reported by KWTX television, citing the director of West emergency services, George Smith.

Keith Hopkins, an administrator with Providence hospital in Waco, told AFP that emergency personnel in West had also given him the figure of 60 to 70 fatalities.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, D.L. Wilson, told reporters he could not "confirm or deny" the figure, saying: "We have confirmed fatalities. The number is not current yet. It could go up by the minute."

The United States was already on edge in the wake of Monday's deadly twin bombings in Boston, and a scare in Washington over mail apparently laced with the poison ricin sent to President Barack Obama and a US senator.

The huge blast also came just before the 20th anniversary on Friday of a deadly confrontation in Waco between federal authorities and heavily armed members of a religious group, the Branch Davidians.

The explosion at the West Fertilizer plant occurred just before 8:00 pm (0100 GMT), Waco Assistant Fire Chief Don Yeager told AFP by phone.

The cause was not immediately known but he said it was an anhydrous ammonia explosion.

Power and gas has been cut to some areas of the town as a precaution, Waco police sergeant W. Patrick Swanton told CNN.

Mark Felton, executive director of the Waco-based Heart of Texas Red Cross, told AFP that people were "flowing into the shelters" set up for evacuees and those whose homes were destroyed, without providing a specific figure.

"There are hundreds of emergency response vehicles lined up," Felton said.

Elmer Cato, First Secretary and Consul of the Philippine embassy in Washington said they and the Consulate General in Los Angeles are monitoring developments in Waco.

He said the LA consulate, headed by Consul General Hellen Barber-Dela Vega "is contacting Filipino commuity leaders in Texas to check if there are Filipinos near the incident site."

He said most Filipinos live in Central (Dallas) and South (Houston) Texas, and not in West Texas where the explosion took place.

"The total number of Filipinos in Texas is about 160,000," he said.

Witnesses said they were stunned by the sheer force of the blast.

"It knocked me down, it knocked me back. It was like the whole road just picked up," resident Cheryl Marich, whose home was destroyed and whose husband was fighting the blaze, told CNN.

There were growing fears that a second fertilizer tank at the plant could explode, widening the disaster that Muska said had leveled up to 80 homes in the small Texas town of 2,500 people.

The mayor told CNN that six or seven firefighters who had attempted to tackle the blaze were unaccounted for.

"It exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb," Jason Shelton, a clerk at the Best Western Czech Inn in West, told The Dallas Morning News.

"I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There's houses leveled that were right next to it. We've got people injured and possibly dead."

The Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 claimed 168 lives.

Another witness, Bill Bohannan, told the Waco Tribune-Herald: "It knocked us into the car... Every house within about four blocks is blown apart."

Crystal Anthony said she and her daughter were almost knocked down several blocks from the explosion.

"We've been moving patients out of the nursing home and taking them to the football field and gymnastics building on Davis Street," she added.

In the 1993 Waco siege, following a 51-day standoff, the group's compound burned down after an assault was launched.

Dozens of people were killed in an incident that many far-right groups see as a symbol of egregious US government overreach.

Local television station KWTX, quoting local emergency manager George Smith, reported some 60 to 70 people had been killed and hundreds injured, although the report could not be immediately verified by AFP.

The blast was reported at about 8 p.m. CDT (0100 GMT on Thursday) in West, a town of some 2,700 people about 80 miles south of Dallas and 20 miles north of Waco.

A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, D.L. Wilson, said the blast had probably caused "hundreds of casualties" and damaged many homes.

He added that a nearby nursing home collapsed from the explosion and that people were believed trapped inside.

A Reuters reporter observed that a middle school and several homes in the area appeared to have been severely burned.

source: interaksyon.com

Boston Marathon bomb used pressure cooker, gunpowder, shrapnel

BOSTON - A pressure cooker stuffed with gunpowder and shrapnel caused at least one of the blasts at the Boston Marathon that killed three people and injured 176 others in the worst attack on US soil since September 11, 2001, law enforcement sources said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama called the two bombings on the marathon finish line an "act of terror" and police said parts of the center of Boston could be closed for days as they investigated the blasts that caused several people to lose limbs.

"When these kids came in ... they were just so badly hurt, just covered with singed hair and in so much pain, it was just gut-wrenching," said David Mooney, the director of the trauma program at Boston Children's Hospital. "Pulling nails out of a little girl's flesh is just awful."

At least 10 people had limbs amputated as a result of their injuries, officials at hospitals said.

The youngest to die in the attacks was an 8-year-old boy. His family identified him in a statement as Martin Richard, who lived in the city's Dorchester neighborhood. Outside the family's home, sympathizers created a makeshift memorial of flowers and "Peace" was written in chalk on the sidewalk.

Officials identified a second person killed as Krystle Campbell, 29, of Medford, Massachusetts. The third person killed in the attack has not yet been identified.

An early lead in the investigation and an apartment search ended with law enforcement sources saying that a Saudi Arabian student injured in the blast was likely to be cleared of suspicion. No one has been arrested, Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told reporters on Tuesday morning.

Later on Tuesday in Washington, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said there was no indication that the bomb blasts were part of a broader plot.

Pressure cooker bomb

At least one bomb, and possibly both, were built using pressure cookers as the superstructure, black powder or gunpowder as the explosive and ball bearings as additional shrapnel, according to current and former counter-terrorism officials briefed on the matter.

The sources, who asked not to be identified, said instructions on how to design such bombs are available on the Internet.

"Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror," Obama said in the White House briefing room. "What we don't yet know, however, is who carried out this attack or why, whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization - foreign or domestic - or was the act of a malevolent individual."

Dispelling earlier reports of as many as seven devices being found around Boston, Gene Marquez, assistant special agent in charge for the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said authorities had determined that the only bombs deployed in the attack were the two that detonated shortly before 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) on Monday.

Any unexploded device might have provided a clearer picture of what materials were used and how the bomb was assembled, furnishing leads in the case.

Officials in cities across the United States were watchful and several had security scares on Tuesday, although no injuries were reported.

At Boston Logan International Airport, two passengers and their bags were removed from a United Airlines flight before departure on Tuesday morning, a source with direct knowledge of the action said.

In New York, the central terminal of La Guardia International Airport was briefly evacuated after authorities discovered a suspicious package at around 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) in the terminal, authorities said.

A nearly mile-long stretch of Boylston Street, near the marathon finish and Boston's two tallest buildings remained cordoned off on Tuesday and portions of that street could remain closed for several days, police said.

Davis, the police commissioner, called it "the most complex crime scene that we have dealt with in the history of our department."

Lower-body injuries

Trauma surgeons at several Boston hospitals said at press briefings that a number of victims had a range of metallic shrapnel material removed during surgery, including pellets and what appeared to be carpenter nails.

"The vast majority of the injuries were to lower extremities," said Dr. Tracey Dechert, a trauma surgeon at Boston Medical Center, which treated 23 people and performed amputations on five of them.

The inclusion of material such as nails in the device would be reminiscent of the 1996 bombing at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, which killed two people and injured about 150 others. Anti-abortion activist Eric Rudolph, who eluded capture for years, pleaded guilty to the attack and is currently serving consecutive life sentences.

Officials in Britain and Spain said the London and Madrid marathons would go ahead on Sunday, but security plans for both races were under review.

Runners who had traveled to Boston for the annual marathon, which has been held since 1897 and attracts an estimated half-million spectators and some 20,000 participants, remained in shock on Tuesday morning.

Pat Monroe-DuPrey, of Winter Haven, Florida, ran with his wife, Laura, in a trip to mark their 10th anniversary after being married during the race.

He said he did not know what to make of the blast, which came as he was finishing the race in a state of exhaustion.

"You don't have a brain at 26 miles," Monroe-DuPrey said. "They got us off the course, and then I was panicking." (Additional reporting by Tim McLaughlin and Stephaine Simon in Boston and Mark Hosenball and Mark Felsenthal in Washington)

source: interaksyon.com

Retro-style turntable combined with modern technology

The Pyle PVTT2U retro belt-drive turntable is a classic briefcase-styled USB turntable designed with form and function in mind. The sleek and stream-lined fold-away unit is portable and made with two built-in anti-magnetic speakers, updated with cutting edge technology combined with nostalgic design offering a fusion of sound and style.

Not only can you play your favorite vinyl records, but you can also connect to your PC directly via USB port, allowing for easy conversion of classic vinyl’s to MP3s. The PVTT2U comes with everything you need to get connected and edit your music collection, all starting with a simple plug in. Take advantage of all the PVTT2U’s features by editing actual music files and creating playlists for any occasion with the included software. Combine the best of digital and analog technologies when you turn your bulky stack of vinyl records into a compact digital music library.

The PVTT2U delivers high quality performance for every audio need imaginable, including wireless playing capability. The rechargeable battery and briefcase-style allows for music on-the-go, making the PVTT2U ready when you are! Charge the turntable by connecting to your computer via the USB cable or by plugging into a wall outlet using the included AC-USB adapter.

This unique turntable will fill any room with incredible audio and can even provide your home theater system with a richer sound by connecting to the RCA line. This modern musical powerhouse arranged into an elegant vintage package will take care of all your music needs at home or on the go.


Pyle’s Retro Belt-Drive Turntable Features Include:

• Three Turntable Speeds: 33, 45, 78 RPM
• Belt-Driven Automatic Turntable
• Ceramic Stereo Cartridge
• 45 RPM Adapter
• Two Built-in Stereo Anti-Magnetic Speakers
• USB Port For Connection to PC to Convert Vinyl to MP3
• Stereo RCA Output
• Rechargeable Battery
• Free Audacity Software Included For Vinyl-to-MP3 Conversion
• Dimensions: 10.63” x 13.78” x 4.33”

source: interaksyon.com

Faulty breast implant company executives on trial in France

MARSEILLE - Five executives of PIP, the company that sparked a global health scare by selling faulty breast implants, went on trial Wednesday in one of the biggest criminal cases in French history.

More than 5,000 female plaintiffs accuse PIP founder Jean-Claude Mas and four others of aggravated fraud for using industrial-grade silicone in implants estimated to have been received by 300,000 women in 65 countries.

source: interaksyon.com

Aerosmith’s Tyler and Perry honored for their songwriting

LOS ANGELES – After 40 years with one of the biggest rock bands in the United States, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry are finally being honored for their songwriting.

The duo, dubbed the Toxic Twins in their drug-fueled early years, co-wrote many of the bands’ biggest hits like “Walk This Way” and “Back in the Saddle,” which catapulted Aerosmith to fame in the mid-1970s.

After winning multiple Grammys and other accolades, Tyler and Perry will be honored on Wednesday with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers founders award for songwriting. They will be also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13.

Tyler and Perry will miss the ASCAP ceremony because they will be on the Australian leg of the band’s “Global Warming” world tour in support of their first album of new material since 2001.

The duo told Reuters ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony that they draw much of their inspiration from each other, although Perry admits the process may be a bit tamer than in the 1970s and 1980s when he and Tyler turned out some big hits while under the influence of drugs.

“Taking drugs can be a shortcut to that place of creativity, but it will kill you in the end because it stops working,” Perry said.

“We had to figure out how to change the way we did things,” said Perry, 62, who is working on an autobiography and a solo record project.

Tyler, the son of a classical pianist, formed Aerosmith in Boston in 1970 after meeting Perry and bass player Tom Hamilton a year earlier.

They signed a record deal in 1971 and what followed were four often tumultuous decades filled with thousands of concerts, band break-ups, well-chronicled bouts of drug abuse, glorious comebacks and sales of more than 150 million albums worldwide.

“We all just get together in a room and inspire each other,” said Tyler, 65, who at 17 wrote the signature Aerosmith hit, “Dream On,” before meeting his future band members.

“The secret is to overwrite. I like to write 19 songs if I only need 12,” said Tyler, who quit last year after two seasons as a judge on “American Idol” to refocus on Aerosmith.

Asked how his writing methods have changed over the years, Perry said he now loves composing songs with the help of his smartphone recording device.

“Bottom line, I always have a studio with me. It’s called an iPhone,” said Perry.

He said he also likes to have a guitar in every room of his home in case inspiration strikes, often pausing the TV while watching late at night to lay down a new musical phrase or riff that comes into his head.

“I just feel like that there are too many rhythms that haven’t been explored in my head. Even in the narrow confines of rock ‘n’ roll, there’s an infinite amount of places to go,” Perry said.

Tyler said he has a lot of new material to work on, including some songs he began but did not complete for the band’s November release “Music from Another Dimension.”

“I have 30 thumbnail sketches I haven’t finished, including four without any lyrics,” Tyler said.

Aerosmith’s “Global Warming” tour will head to Manila on May 8 when the band will perform at the Mall of Asia Arena.

source: interaksyon.com